1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a food preservative container comprising a container body and a closure member fitted over the container body so as to close an opening of the container body, the closure member having a peripheral edge that can be hermetically fitted to the container body.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional food preservative container comprises a container body and a closure member attached with a finger grip portion and fitted over the container body so as to close an opening of the container body, the closure member having a peripheral edge that can be hermetically fitted to the container body (see Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 1992-118349 for example). Such a conventional container has an advantage in that food put in the container can be kept in a very favorable condition from the viewpoint of food hygiene because communication with air between the outside and inside of the container is cut off.
The conventional food preservative container, however, involves a problem in that when the container stored in a refrigerator is taken out of the refrigerator and is to be opened on a dining table, the closure member cannot be detached from the container body even if the user tries to lift up the closure member while gripping the finger grip because the pressure of air within the container is reduced.
In attempt to solve this problem, the conventional container is provided with an openable and closable vent hole defined by the closure member which is opened when the container is to be opened. Such an arrangement, however, raises another problem in that the inconvenience arises of necessitating two operations in opening the closure, namely the operation of opening the vent hole and the operation of lifting up the closure member by the finger grip, thereby reducing the commercial value of the container.
Further, the vent hole of the conventional container is not closed if the closure member is merely fitted over the container body. Therefore, it is possible that the container is stored in a refrigerator with the vent hole left open, resulting in a problem in that the conventional container may lose its hermetic sealing effect.
The present invention is provided in order to solve the foregoing problems of the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a food preservative container that is capable of keeping food contained in the container in a very favorable condition from the viewpoint of food hygiene by cutting off air communication between the outside and the inside of the container.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a food preservative container that is constructed such that when the container 1 stored in a refrigerator is taken out of the refrigerator and is to be opened on a dining table, mere lifting of a closure member 3 with its finger grip portion 16 gripped with fingers causes a sealing portion 40 in a lower part of a outer cover portion 38 to be partially moved toward the center of the finger grip portion and detaches from the closure member 3 thereby releasing the hermetic pressure-contact with the closure member 3 even when the pressure of air 11 within the container is reduced and, hence, the operation of releasing the reduced pressure state inside the container and the operation of opening the closure by lifting up the closure member 3 can be achieved in a one-touch fashion.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a food preservative container such that when the container 1 containing food therein is to be stored in the refrigerator, the operation of merely fitting the closure member 3 over a container body before storing the container 1 in the refrigerator causes the outer cover portion 38 of the finger grip portion attached to the closure member 3 to return to its original position by its own elasticity, so that the lower part 40 of the circumferentially extending outer cover portion 38 is brought into hermetic pressure-contact with the upper surface of the closure member 3, thereby ensuring a hermetic seal effect, hence contributing to a reduction in the internal pressure of the container 1.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a food preservative container such that when an unusual reduction in the internal pressure of the container stored in the refrigerator occurs, the lower part of the finger grip portion elastically moves to allow outside air to be introduced into the container thereby playing the role of a safety valve.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a food preservative container such that when the finger grip portion 16 attached to the closure member 3 is to be washed, the finger grip portion 16, even if configured to cut off air communication in a usual state but to permit air communication when gripped with fingers, can be easily removed from the closure member 3 for washing by merely disengaging an engagement pawl 35 of an engagement portion 34.
Yet still another object of the present invention is to provide a hygienic finger grip portion 16 such that when the finger grip portion 16 is removed from the closure member 3 for washing, every part of a dent portion defined in an inside portion 24 of the outer cover portion 38 can be washed easily by raising the lower part of the outer cover portion 38 to make the inside of the outer cover portion 38 open to the outside.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a food preservative container such that when the internal pressure of the container 1 containing food therein is unusually elevated due to heating, a seal member 42 extending circumferentially around the closure member 3 is capable of serving as a safety valve.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will readily become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.